Nils Tjoflot

Nils Ellingsson Tjoflot (October 13, 1865 – July 11, 1898) was a Norwegian violinist from Tjoflot in Ullensvang Municipality in Norway's Hardanger district.

Life Tjoflot was born at the Ytrabødn farm in Tjoflot, the son of Elling Nilsson Tjoflot (1819–1870) and Barbro Endresdatter Folkedal from Trones (1837–1905). Nils was an only child, and his father died when he was five years old.

Together with several other folk musicians from the area, Tjoflot was a member of the Western Norwegian Association.

Death Tjoflot died in a shipwreck in 1898 when he was only 32 years old. On Sunday, July 10, 1898, he traveled with his custom-built sailboat to Granvin Municipality. He was frequently in Granvin, where he had many friends and acquaintances from his confirmation, including many that played fiddle. Both Severin Kjerland and Nils Nilsson Eida were admirers of Nils. This Sunday there were two men with him in the boat, Endre Sjurson Kvammen and Jon Tjoflot. In Granvin, Nils Tjoflot played at a barn dance, and the dance lasted until late in the night.

The fiddle that floated to the surface after Tjoflot drowned on the morning of June 11, 1898 was repaired by the violin maker Knut Eilevsson Steintjønndalen, who had also made the instrument. The fiddle was restored to its original condition, but perhaps not as good as when it was owned by Tjoflot, who considered it a top-quality instrument. The fiddle is now displayed at the Hardanger Folk Museum in Utne, which lies across the Hardanger Fjord from the village of Tjoflot.

Musical work Tjoflot composed Hardanger fiddle pieces (slåtter), schottisches, waltzes, and other pieces. He was especially fond of playing pieces for turning dances (runddans). He established his own Tjoflot version of tunes for turning dances. Tjoflot had a distinctive style of playing and way of performing material that was well-liked by people. He also taught several folk musicians in Hardanger, and he taught them the Hardanger fiddle pieces that he had learned from others as well as his own compositions.

Tjoflot's Hardanger fiddle pieces and waltzes are also performed today, and recordings of them have been played on the folk music program on Norwegian radio. About 20 waltzes are known based on the work of Nils Tjoflot. Many of these waltzes were recorded by the folk musician Anders S. Kjerland from Granvin.

In 2008, the diatonic button accordion player Rannveig Djønne released a CD called Spelferd heim – slåtter frå Hardanger og Voss på durspel (Spelferd Heim: Tunes from Hardanger and Voss for Button Accordion) on which she performs three pieces by Nils Tjoflot: "Hamborgar etter Nils Tjoflot" (Hamburg Melody by Nils Tjoflot), "Reinlender etter Nils Tjoflot" (Rhineland Melody by Nils Tjoflot), and the well-known "Ginavalsen" (Gina Waltz), which he wrote in heartbreak when he learned that the girl he loved had become engaged to another.